How to Get Rid of Weed Smell

Here’s how to get rid of weed smell fast: move the air out, then clean what the smoke touched, from fabrics and soft furnishings to hard surfaces. Sprays and candles only cover the smell for a while. Fresh air and cleaning remove it.

Some strains are louder than others. Super smelly ones like Tegridy Flower Chem Berry can fill a room in minutes, so plan your airflow before you light up.

Why weed smell lingers

Cannabis gets its smell from terpenes and from sulfur compounds similar to the ones in skunk spray. Smoke carries those molecules and tiny particles that settle on fabric, carpet, curtains and walls. That’s why a room can smell long after the air has cleared.

Flower smells before it’s ever lit, too, so an open jar can scent a room on its own. For the compounds behind each strain’s smell, see what does weed smell like.

What removes weed smell and what only covers it

There are three ways to get rid of the smell: blow it outside, trap it in something that absorbs it, or wash it off the surfaces holding it. Scented products add a stronger smell on top and fade.

Method	What it does	Removes or covers
Fresh air and a fan pointing out	Moves smoky air outside	Removes it from the air
Activated carbon (purifier filter, charcoal bag)	Holds odour gases on the carbon	Removes
HEPA filter	Catches smoke particles only	Removes the haze, not the gases
Baking soda	Neutralizes odour in carpet and fabric	Removes
Washing	Takes residue out of fabric and off walls	Removes
Air freshener sprays, candles, incense, cooking strong food	Add a stronger scent	Covers

Of these methods, activated carbon is the one made for odour gases. Health Canada lists carbon filtration as the most commonly used odour control at indoor cannabis production sites.

How to get rid of weed smell in a room

1. Open windows and run a fan pointing out. A fan blowing out of a window pulls stale air out of the room instead of just stirring it around. If the room has windows on opposite sides, open both so fresh air comes in one and the fan pushes stale air out the other.
2. Clear out what still smells. Empty ashtrays, throw out roaches and change the bong water, which goes stale once it sits. How to clean a bong covers the rest.
3. Run an air purifier. Look for one with a HEPA filter for particles plus an activated carbon filter for odours.
4. Wash the fabrics. Bedding, throws, cushion covers and curtains hold smell the longest.
5. Treat carpets and couches. Sprinkle baking soda, leave it for a few hours, then vacuum.
6. Wipe hard surfaces. Walls, desks and windowsills collect a film over time. Warm water with a little dish soap or white vinegar works. Skip the vinegar on marble, limestone or travertine, since acids etch them.
7. Leave odour absorbers out. A bowl of baking soda or a bag of activated charcoal soaks up what’s left.

Picking an air purifier

The CADR number on the box tells you how fast a purifier clears smoke, dust and pollen particles. It doesn’t rate odour removal (US EPA).

To size an air purifier, AHAM (the appliance makers’ group behind the CADR test) suggests a smoke CADR of at least two-thirds of the room’s floor area in square feet, and higher if someone smokes there. A 10 by 12 foot bedroom (120 square feet) needs a smoke CADR of 80 or more.

For the smell, check the carbon. The EPA says carbon filters can work if they hold a large amount of carbon, so compare the carbon by weight or thickness, and replace filters on the maker’s schedule.

Skip ozone generators sold as air cleaners. Health Canada advises against using them in homes.

How to stop weed smell in an apartment

Apartments share air through gaps around doors, vents and outlets, so smell travels to the hallway and to neighbours.

• Put a rolled towel or a door sweep along the bottom of the door.
• Smoke near an open window with a fan blowing out, not near the door or a bathroom vent.
• Keep a purifier running in the room you use.
• Check your lease and building rules, since many buildings don’t allow smoking indoors.

Lower-smell ways to consume help a lot here. Vapour from a vape pen fades much faster than smoke, and edibles don’t produce smoke at all.

How to get rid of weed smell in a car

1. Open all the doors and let the car air out for 15 to 30 minutes.
2. Run the fan on high with fresh air, not recirculate, so outside air flushes the vents.
3. Vacuum the seats, floor mats and trunk.
4. Sprinkle baking soda on cloth seats and carpets, wait a few hours, then vacuum again.
5. Wipe the dashboard, wheel and windows.
6. Replace the cabin air filter if the smell keeps coming back through the vents.
7. Leave a bag of activated charcoal under a seat.

Wipe leather seats with a little leather cleaner on a lint-free cloth, and leave the windows open while they dry. If cloth seats still smell after the baking soda, a steam cleaner reaches deeper into the fabric.

Never consume cannabis in a car or drive while impaired. The driving after cannabis guide covers the rules.

How to get weed smell out of clothes and hair

Smoke settles on whatever you’re wearing, and on your hair and hands.

• Clothes: wash them at the warmest temperature the care label allows. For a load that still smells, add half a cup (125 mL) of baking soda to the drum with the detergent and another half cup at the rinse. If you can’t wash them right away, hang them outside or near an open window.
• Jackets and hoodies: outer layers take the most smoke. Air them out by a window before they go back in a closet with clean clothes.
• Hair: smoke clings to hair, so a wash or a quick rinse helps most.
• Hands: wash with soap and water. Hand sanitizer alone doesn’t remove the smell. Breaking up buds by hand also leaves sticky resin on your fingers, and a grinder keeps it off them.
• Breath: brush your teeth and drink water.

Store it so it doesn’t smell

A lot of weed smell comes from storage, not smoking. Keep flower in an airtight glass jar or a smell-proof bag, away from heat and light. Every Baller Club order is vacuum sealed before it ships, which keeps the smell in until you open it.

Once you cut that seal, move the flower into a jar. Every order with flower also ships with a humidity pack, which goes in the same jar.

Don’t keep the jar in the freezer. Freezing may damage the trichomes, the tiny resin glands on the buds, and leave the THC inside them more exposed to air.

If you buy a quarter or half pound, split it across a few smaller jars and open only the one you’re using, so the rest stays sealed.

Grinders, rolling trays and pipes hold crumbs and resin that smell too. Keep them in a lidded box or bag, and clean the grinder when it gets sticky.

We don’t sell jars, bags or other gear. Any glass jar with a tight-sealing lid from a kitchen store works. For keeping flower fresh as well as sealed, see does weed expire?

Common questions

What makes weed smell go away fast?

Fresh air. Open the windows, point a fan out of one, empty any ashtrays and run an air purifier with an activated carbon filter. The air can clear within a few hours, but fabrics and carpets hold the smell until they’re washed or treated.

What cancels out the smell of weed?

Nothing truly cancels it, but activated carbon filters, activated charcoal and baking soda absorb odour. Air fresheners and candles only cover it up for a while.

What scent eliminates weed smell?

None. A scent sits on top of weed smell and fades, so air out and clean first. After that, a pot of water simmering with cinnamon sticks, vanilla or lemon slices gives the room a fresh smell; keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil dry.

How do I remove weed smell from me?

Change into clean clothes and wash the smoky ones, wash your hands with soap and water, and wash or rinse your hair. Brushing your teeth takes care of your breath.

How long does weed smell stay in a room?

It depends on airflow and on how much soft furniture the room has. With windows open and a fan running, the air can clear within a few hours. Fabrics and carpets can hold the smell for days until they’re washed or treated.

Can a room smell like weed permanently?

It can last a long time. After months of smoking indoors, the smell sits in carpet, upholstery and painted walls, and airing out alone won’t clear it. Wash the walls, have carpets and couches professionally cleaned, and if you repaint, use a shellac-based primer first, a type sold for sealing in smoke odours.

Can weed smell go through walls?

Yes. Air leaks between apartments through walls and floors and in from the hallway, and it carries weed smell to the neighbours. A fan blowing out an open window sends the smoky air outside instead, and an air purifier with an activated carbon filter catches odour gases in the room.

Does vaping smell less than smoking?

Yes. Vapour still has a scent, but it’s lighter and fades much faster than smoke because there’s no burning.